TOMS RIVER — A Toms River man will spend five years in state prison for distributing child sexual abuse material online, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
Justin Thomas, 40, was sentenced Aug. 14 by Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan. Thomas must serve the entire five-year term before becoming eligible for parole.
Ryan also ordered Thomas to comply with Megan’s Law registration requirements and placed him under parole supervision for life. Thomas pleaded guilty April 13.
The investigation began after the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding child sexual abuse material being uploaded online.
Detectives with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad traced the activity to an IP address connected to a Toms River home and identified Thomas as the person responsible, authorities said.
Investigators from several agencies searched Thomas’ residence under a court-authorized warrant on July 31, 2025. A preliminary forensic review of a USB drive found on his desk uncovered multiple files containing child sexual abuse material, according to prosecutors.
Authorities later determined that Thomas used his Snapchat account to distribute the illegal content.
Thomas was arrested at Toms River Police Headquarters and lodged in the Ocean County Jail. He was later released under New Jersey’s bail reform rules while the case proceeded.
The investigation involved the Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Homeland Security Investigations, Toms River police and its Emergency Services Unit, the state police ICAC Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
